Church Membership: a Biblical View

Driving home: We must never underestimate the power of the human mind to have the Bible set before it and yet to miss its message or to pervert it.

Martin quotes Jesus' words to the Pharisees ('Ye search the scriptures... but ye will not come to me') to illustrate how people can have the Bible before them yet miss or pervert its message, failing to come to Christ.

Let me repeat that. We must never underestimate the power of the human mind to have the Bible set before it and yet to miss its message or to pervert it. Jesus said of the spiritual leaders of his day, Ye search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life. And these are they which testify of me, but ye will not come to me that ye may have life.

2:21 - 2:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The devil is an economist with his time. He doesn't spend time getting people muddled and mixed up on things that are of no account. But he does spend his time seeking. He is seeking to get men muddled and mixed up on th…

The 'dark ages' are presented as a historical monument to the devil's success in obscuring the biblical teaching on the nature of the Christian church, illustrating the long-term consequences of doctrinal error.

He is seeking to get men muddled and mixed up on things that are of vital importance. And what could be of greater importance than that institution which the scripture says is the very pillar and the ground of the truth. And so historically we see the devil very early in the history of the Christian church seeking to pervert and obscure the clear teaching of the word of God as to the nature of the church of Jesus Christ. And that terrible period in history called the darkness, the dark ages is essentially a monument to the devil's ability and success in obscuring the biblical teaching concerni...

3:28 - 4:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The devil is an economist with his time. He doesn't spend time getting people muddled and mixed up on things that are of no account. But he does spend his time seeking. He is seeking to get men muddled and mixed up on th…

The concept of the church under Constantine as a 'semi-political, geographical, religious amalgamation' is used as an example of how the church was plunged into darkness by a perverted understanding of its nature.

When under Constantine the church was conceived of as some kind of a semi-political, geographical, religious amalgamation so that you had this territorial church concept, it plunged the visible church into terrible darkness for nearly 50 years. Over 1,500 years, over 1,000 years, 1,100 years. And there's a sense in which even the greatest of the early reformers, Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, had much unfinished business in their reformation clearing away the rubble of those dark ages in this very area of the nature of the church. Calvin went further than Luther did in clearing away the rubble.

4:11 - 4:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The devil is an economist with his time. He doesn't spend time getting people muddled and mixed up on things that are of no account. But he does spend his time seeking. He is seeking to get men muddled and mixed up on th…

Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli are cited as great reformers who, despite their achievements, still had 'unfinished business' in clearing away the 'rubble' concerning the nature of the church, illustrating the ongoing need for biblical clarity.

When under Constantine the church was conceived of as some kind of a semi-political, geographical, religious amalgamation so that you had this territorial church concept, it plunged the visible church into terrible darkness for nearly 50 years. Over 1,500 years, over 1,000 years, 1,100 years. And there's a sense in which even the greatest of the early reformers, Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, had much unfinished business in their reformation clearing away the rubble of those dark ages in this very area of the nature of the church. Calvin went further than Luther did in clearing away the rubble.

4:11 - 4:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whenever there is genuine increase, and I'm using that adjective purposely, not when there is any kind of increase, but when there is true increase, the author of that increase is the Lord himself.

Luke's description of Lydia's conversion ('whose heart the Lord opened') is used as an example from Acts to underscore that the Lord himself is the author of genuine spiritual increase.

In other words, the Gospel record of the activity of the Lord Jesus is but the beginning of the record of his mighty deeds. And the Acts of the Apostles is really the Acts of the risen Lord through the Apostles in building and in establishing his church. And Luke is very, very careful throughout the entirety of the book of the Acts to underscore this simple principle that the author of genuine increase in the churches of Jesus Christ is no one else other than the Lord himself. That's why in a historical record such as the book of Acts, you have some of the most profound theological statements ...

6:55 - 8:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whenever there is genuine increase, and I'm using that adjective purposely, not when there is any kind of increase, but when there is true increase, the author of that increase is the Lord himself.

Luke's record of the gospel's success at Antioch ('as many as were ordained to eternal life believed') is presented as an example of profound theological statements embedded in historical narrative, reinforcing God's sovereignty in salvation.

These are his words, Acts 13, 48, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Well, what an unusual place to stick such a powerful statement on the doctrine of the divine decrees. Why does Luke do it? Because Luke had this biblical perspective clearly fixed in his mind that whenever there was the increase of the church of Jesus Christ, he knew that its author was the Lord of the church, Jesus Christ himself.

8:15 - 8:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Frame your ministry by the principles of the Word of God in dependence upon the Spirit of God, looking to the head of the church that the Lord will add day by day in His own sovereign purpose and in His own sovereign tim…

The 'American gimmick mentality' that drove forefathers westward is used as an analogy to describe a harmful approach to church growth, where methods are prioritized over divine sovereignty.

We're cursed with our gimmick mentality, the same mentality that faced the uncharted lands west of the Mississippi and caused our early forefathers to press out and establish a nation in a barren area. It was a blessing then, but that same mentality is a curse. We've got the American gimmick mentality. Give me a gimmick that'll work and let's get the wheels of the organization going.

13:03 - 13:31 Read in full sermon

The point: When interviewing prospective members, ask not a canned list of questions, but seek to understand what the gospel has done in them, not just what they know about it.

The statement 'the demons also believe and tremble' is alluded to, illustrating that mere intellectual assent to Christian doctrines is insufficient for salvation and church membership.

No, I don't believe He died on the cross for sinners. Of course people will answer yes to those questions. And the yeses can be echoing in your ears while they slip into hell. But the demons also believe and tremble.

16:37 - 16:52 Read in full sermon

The point: When interviewing prospective members, ask not a canned list of questions, but seek to understand what the gospel has done in them, not just what they know about it.

The 'old Puritan' practice of asking 'What has Christ done for you? What has Christ done in you?' is quoted as a model for discerning genuine salvation, emphasizing both objective and subjective aspects of grace.

No, no. We want to know not only do you have an acquaintance with the word of the gospel, but what's the gospel done in you? The old Puritan said it this way. We ask people two questions.

16:52 - 17:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second principle is that the indispensable requirement for church membership is salvation. Martin defines 'saved' as a mighty work of the Triune God, distinguishing it from…

A story about a young man suggesting to an elder that some 'Christians' who don't obey God's Word should be forbidden from the Lord's Table, only to be rebuffed, illustrates the danger of lowering the conditions for church membership and communion.

These young men are Christians. They make no bones about it. I don't intend to obey the Word of God, but don't you call me anything other than a Christian. When the young man dared to suggest to one of the elders, maybe we ought to forbid some of these to come to the table. He said, I don't care if you improve it from the Bible.

22:50 - 23:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Find a place where the word of God is taken seriously, where you can with confidence submit yourself to the elders as true spiritual shepherds of your soul, and be involved in the totality of church life.

The concept of 'family' is used as an analogy for the church, describing it as a place of unconditional love, honesty, and shared burdens, even when seeing the 'worst' of one another.

Family is the place where I go and I'm loved till they see the worst of me. My wife and my kids see the worst of me. The worst side of me. But they still love me.

31:23 - 31:32 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have doubts about the reality of your salvation after hearing testimonies, cherish that doubt as a potential 'first ray of light' from the Holy Ghost and ask God for clarity.

The contemporary church's use of 'twanging guitars and long-haired, half-converted guys jumping around a stage, singing Jesus jingles' is used as a negative example of human gimmicks to attract young people, contrasting it with the power of God's Word.

You better cherish it and you better go home and ask, Lord, do I have what those people talked about? And those people that say, look, look, the church has got to get with it. We can't draw young people in our day without having a bunch of twanging guitars and long-haired, half-converted guys jumping around a stage, singing Jesus jingles and all the rest. You notice the means and the mean age of those here tonight?

34:44 - 35:08 Read in full sermon